E-Paper
Food grain transportation scam: Court extends remand for PA to former minister Ashu
The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Sumit Makkar extended the police remand of Pankaj Meenu Malhotra, personal assistant to former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu for one day on Tuesday.
The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Sumit Makkar extended the police remand of Pankaj Meenu Malhotra, personal assistant to former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu for one day on Tuesday.
Pankaj Malhotra, who was absconding in the multi-crore food grain transportation tender scam in the grain markets of the state, had surrendered before the vigilance bureau on Friday.
The vigilance bureau requested the court for the police remand of the accused. The vigilance bureau officials stated that during the probe they found that Meenu Malhotra had received bribe money of ₹ 6 lakh from accused contractor Telu Ram in order to arrange his meeting with the former minister for allotment of tenders for labour and transportation works for the year 2020-21 in the grain markets. They need his custody as documents and other evidence are yet to be recovered.
On August 16, the vigilance bureau had registered a case under Sections 420, 409, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of Indian Penal Code (ICP) and 7, 8, 12, 13(2) of prevention of corruption act against contractor Telu Ram, Jagroop Singh, Sandeep Bhatia and partners of Gurdas Ram & company as well as officers, officials of Punjab food and civil supply department besides respective officials, employees of the concerned procurement agencies for allocation of labour and transportation tenders in various grain markets.
